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11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 NOVEMBER 2018 CULTURE ENVIRONMENT SOME birds are large, spectacular and impossible to miss or mistake. Others are small, drab and secretive and these can be hard even to spot, let alone identify. In birdwatcher jar- gon such birds are often known as LBJs (Little Brown Jobs) and one such LBJ is the dunnock, a study in grey and brown. It looks a bit like a sparrow but its beak is thin and clearly insectivorous, unlike the sparrow's chunky mandibles. Un- like sparrows too, the dunnock (M. żiemel) is largely a loner and a skulker, all in all not an easy bird to find. Dunnocks are birds of open woodlands and large gardens, but when they feel safe they often come down to the ground to forage for insects and other juicy titbits. The dunnock is a fairly common autumn migrant, and some birds stay the winter too, livening up places like Buskett with their trilling call. Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 538: Find out more at www.foemalta.org/event Text Victor Falzon Photo Aron Tanti 538 - DON'T THROW IT AWAY! FIX IT! 635. DUNNOCK NEVER one to shy away from a challenge, Kevin Naudi is back with his third Solo Stand-Up Comedy performance at none other than the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Republic Hall. The show entitled "No Lim- its" is guaranteed to bring the house down, as the comedian retells anecdotes of his life as a husband, dad, and just a your ordinary guy in good old Malta. Kevin started out with his first Stand-up special "Laugh- ing at the Truth" in 2015. The show, written, directed and performed by Kevin, ran over two nights at the MADC Club Rooms to a packed house. This was the first time that a Maltese stand-up comedian performed solidly for over one hour single-handedly. In 2017 he went a step fur- ther with "Nothing to Hide" which was staged at Blue Box and sold out over two nights. Not to be outdone, Kevin is now back with "No Limits" in a much larger venue, guaran- teeing larger laughs. This will be the first time a solo per- formance is to be held at the MCC in 30 years! Actor and comedian Vlad Il- ich residing in London, will be supporting as the opening act. No Limits will be staged on Saturday 1st December 2018. Tickets are on sale at $18 and can be purchased from http:// www.ticketline.com.mt/ Solo comedy performance sets itself no limits Solo comedy performance THE Maltese blood orange has earned a reputation of excel- lence at a time when the fruit was considered as a luxury in Europe, and its trade in the Mediterranean was rather re- stricted. Celebrated for its eat- ing quality and fragrance, the sense of anticipation for the Maltese orange among the roy- al courts and the aristocracy of Europe is well documented. On Thursday, 22 November, Heritage Malta is inviting the public to indulge in the explo- ration of these exquisite narra- tives, and to discover how an orange conserve was prepared in 1748. Inquisitor Fabio Chigi loved the smell and taste of the Mal- tese oranges so much that he included orange trees in the newly refurbished garden of the Inquisitor's Palace in Bir- gu. In 1635, he mentions the regular use of oranges in his report to the Holy Office in Rome about his Lenten con- sumption patterns. His writ- ings reveal that he enjoyed his cold orange squash with some sugar to refresh himself during the hot summer months. The remarkable quality of the fruit also caught the atten- tion of several travellers. Rem- iniscing about his experiences in 1770 Malta, Patrick Bry- don was quite eloquent about Maltese oranges, defining the blood orange as the best in the world. The enticing pleasure of ex- pectation among the royal courts of Europe, particularly in Paris, is well noted. In 1780, the sisters to the king of France invested in an orange garden in Malta to ensure their annu- al supply. Similarly, tradesmen competed for the individually paper-wrapped oranges to be diligently packed into boxes intended to reach a sophisti- cated market in Europe. The exclusive nature of the Maltese orange was also cel- ebrated in its print form. Re- nowned period cookbooks started to specifically refer to the Maltese orange. Eventu- ally, the French Sauce Mal- taise became a speciality on the tables of Europe's leading aristocracy. Preserved and processed in different shapes and forms, from rose water to marmalade, the orange or any of its by-products, would con- tinue to enjoy special atten- tion as science emphasised its nutritional value. Oranges in 17th and 18th- century Malta is another In- quisitor's historic cookalong session wherein historian Dr Noel Buttigieg will help partic- ipants to explore the subject, while chef Josef Baldacchino will be conducting a historic cookalong session of 'compos- ta di bergamotte' - an orange conserve from 1748. This is an exclusive sensory experience for a limited num- ber of participants. Proceeds from this event will help Her- itage Malta to restore the In- quisitor's kitchen back to its busy days. Those who attend will be entitled to one com- plimentary copy of Ta' Bistra Catacombs project book. The event is being held at the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu at 7.30pm. For more information one can call 2166 3731 or access Heritage Malta website at www.heritagemalta.org Oranges in 17th and 18th century Malta A lot of items we discard can easily be fixed with a little bit of care and help from people who are knowledgeable in repairs. For the European Week of Waste Reduction, we will be host- ing a repair cafe with 4 repair stations, one for clothes repair, one for bicycle repair, one for electronic repair, and one for up-cycling items from trash to treasure. This will be a way of sharing our knowledge, helping each other out, and learning of how to easily fix things.